Why Must I Suffer?

Thanks for the very first review Kirjava01! :) I giggled for a half hour! ^^


~The murmuring city goes to sleep and an anxiety I can't put into words rears its head. The distance feels greater the more I chase after my dreams and desires to catch them both.~ Tangerine Dream - Do As Infinity


People walked by Jaiden without a second glance. It was fine with him, it was supposed to be this way. But, inside, he felt an unfamiliar twinge. Why was it suddenly bothering him to be ignored? His COM beeped. He drew it out and hit the button on the side. A small holographic map opened up. It was covered in blue dots. Those were regular humans. He saw a cluster of black dots a few blocks away on the map. DarkSades. Jaiden looked up. This was a business avenue. Nothing here but office buildings and-

"The University."

Jaiden closed the COM and hurried down the street. It was still early in the morning. The sun tried it's best to get through the dark grey storm clouds but to little avail. Jaiden slowed his pace as he neared the large building. Students were arriving for their morning classes. There was no way he would be able to get in unseen. He walked towards the gate. Security guards were checking each students ID barcode on their wrists.

"Damnit!" Jaiden crossed the street.

He had no ID barcode. He wasn't born into a regular family. Infants are usually given a small chip surgically placed under their skin, with a barcode placed over it on top of the inside wrist. He was born in a USER facility, where no infant was given an ID barcode. It would jepordize the missions they would be expected to carry out. All along the streets of Sailen and every other city in the world were sensor poles. These poles monitored people everyday. When a person would walk past, their barcode would be scanned.

Perhaps he could use the pole to his advantage. Jaiden cast one last look at the school. He would have to come back later. It looked as though he would have to see his contact today for sure.


DOWNTOWN SAILEN...

Reeve woke as a loud pounding filled his home. The junkie rose from his lumpy bed and shuffled for the door. He grabbed a small pistol from the end table and cocked it. The pounding stopped.

"Put the gun away Reeve." Came a muffled voice from outside the door.

Reeve sighed. "Jaiden, how do you always know?" He opened the door.

Jaiden stepped in. "Because I was genetically enhanced remember?"

Reeve nodded. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I need a fake ID barcode. One that a UL scanner will read."

"A University Level scanner? What's there?"

Jaiden folded his arms over his chest and stared at him.

Reeve rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Classified."

"Can you help me or not?"

"I can. UL scanners are easy to fool." Reeve pulled a book of the pitifully small bookshelf he had. "All I need is to cut your wrist and slid this little baby inside." He held up a super slim metal square. "You do you weird skin thing and I place a fake barcode on top. Bam! You're in."

Jaiden shed his cost and pulled up his sleeve. He took of his gloove and handed his arm to Reeve.

"Do it."


3PM Maeju Clothing Store...

Again, Jaiden examined the handy work on his wrist. For the time being, he was Byron Hallow. A man who had been dead for over seventy years. By the time the computers registered the death, Jaiden would have the chip out. Jaiden turned his attention back to the clothing rack. He had to trade in his normal clothes for popular clothes young males in his age group were wearing. He looked at the items like they were from another world. A saleswoman saw him and walked over.

"Hello sir, do you need help?"

Jaiden looked her over. She was only a few years older. He decided she would know what would be best. She looked like she lived in this store, all covered with jewlry and glitter.

"I need something that will make me blend in with the college crowd. I just got accepted to Sailen University. I'm a little nervous." He grinned.

"No prob, I know just what to get you."

She hurried away and returned seconds later with an armful of clothes. She thrust them into his arms and pushed him towards a changing room.

"Black and white is in this season!" She said and closed the door.

He dropped the clothes on the bench and rifled through them. He finally chose a pair of black jeans, the closest thing he could find to his normal clothes. He pulled them on and zipped the up. They fit perfectly. Jaiden admitted to himself that the hyper girl was good at her job. He pulled out a random shirt. It was a sort of sheer white. He pulled it over his head. No good. His tattoos were visible.

He pulled of the shirt and slipped on another white one. A white button up shirt. There were four sewn in black belts crossing over his chest. He buckled them and did the ones circling each arm. He looked at himself in the mirror. This was suitable.

He stepped out of the changing room to find the hyper girl standing there with an armfull of accessories. She flashed him a wide grin.

"I think you're my favorite customer sir."

She pulled him in front of a full length mirror. She fished a choker from her pile and held it up. It looked to Jaiden like the belts on his shirt.

She buckled it around his neck. "Ah! A perfect match!"

She pulled a few chains from her pile and along with a belt dotted with metal. She snapped them onto the loops in his pants and buckled the belt around his waist.

"Awesome! The belt is so much cooler over the shirt than through the belt loops!"

"Thank you Miss." Jaiden said. He was begining to get a little irritated at her hyper attitude and obsessive accessorizing. "Am I done here?"

"Almost! You need this!" She pulled a black duffle bag the shelf and tossed it over his head. The strap crossed his chest. She stepped back to admire her work.

"Alright sir! You done. Now, let's check out."

Jaiden walked over to the counter. He handed her a small USB. She plugged it into her system and digitally drew the money from his fake account.

She smiled. "All good to go! I'll get your old clothes-"

"No, I'll get them. Thanks."

He went back to the dressing room. The girl watched him. He picked up his clothes, careful to his his guns and slid them in his bag. He nodded again to the girl and left the store. He could gain access to the University now and take care of those DarkSades. He pulled his COM out and opened the map. The Black dots seemed to have nearly doubled. He had to hurry.

He ran down the street. People looked up at him as he hurried past. What was making the DarkSades multiply so quickly? Perhaps a HYBRID was near? Feeding the DarkSades energy? Jaiden slwoed to a walk as he neared the University gates. The guard saw him coming and pulled out his scanner.

"Hello, young man. Name?"

"Byron Hallow."

The guard nodded to his partner int he small booth who typed the name into the student registry.

'Shit! I forgot the registry!' Jaiden thought.

"All clear. Mr. Hallows is a new transfer from Cayden."

Jaiden nearly sighed in relief. Thank goodness Reeve wasn't an idiot!

"Id barcode." The guard said.

Jaiden pulled up his sleeve and showed his fake barcode. The guard scanned it and paused. His partner nodded and the guard moved to let Jaiden pass.

"Have a good day Mr. Hallow."

Jaiden smiled back and nodded. He walked towards the giant building looming upwards. He walked past the fountain wondering what it would be like to be a student here. To actually be normal.

He shook the thoughts away. He wasn't normal. Wishful thinking did him no good. He stopped by the trashcan in front of the entryway and dumped his old clothes in. All he would need for this mission would be his guns. Jaiden looked around to make sure no one saw him slide the blade into his boot. He straighted himself out and walked into the school.